Gwent Police has said it will “take action” over people ignoring government advice to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

A Gwent Police spokesperson said: “We are ensuring that people adhere to government guidelines, as it is essential that we protect all our communities, vulnerable people and our NHS.

“Our current approach involves officers engaging with the public, explaining the situation and encouraging them to follow the advice we have all received.

“However, if we consider that people are ignoring government advice, we will take action.

“We will utilise the enforcement options open to us, but only in extreme circumstances and if proportionate to the incident we are responding to.”

The spokesman added: “We as a force recognise that this is a particularly frustrating time for young people who are not in school or college.

“We are urging young people not to congregate in groups, as this is dangerous for our communities and in terms of the potential spread.

In a separate statement, the police urged the public to respect the countryside, after reports of antisocial behaviour on Machen Mountain, where a woman was attacked and had her phone stolen.

The woman was taking a photo of three off-road bikers riding illegally, when one of the bikers assaulted her and stole her phone.

Inspector Aled George said: “Off-road biking is not a legitimate reason for people to be out of their homes at this time.

“The risk this illegal activity has to other people is significant, we will not tolerate these continued efforts to break the law and will continue to hold operations to target people committing these offences.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Philippa Marsden, leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council, said she was “saddened” to hear about people being intimidated while out on their daily exercise.

Cllr Marsden said: “This is particularly upsetting during this period of national emergency, where our countryside is offering the opportunity for both exercise and solace for many residents.

“These spaces are open for all residents to use but I’d like to remind everyone who uses them to do so with respect for the landscape, the law and other users.”

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